Early morning fire destroys Pahrump home

An unidentified man was flown to Las Vegas following an vehicle crash off of Highway 160.

By Selwyn Harris Pahrump Valley Times

November 28, 2018 - 7:00 am

Alan Wertsbaugh/Special to the Pahrump Valley Times
On Saturday November 17, fire crews were dispatched for a report of an early morning structure fire, along the 1100 block of East Dollar Street, just before 2 a.m. The fire, which destroyed the home was deemed suspect in nature, and remains under investigation. No injuries were reported.

Special to the Pahrump Valley Times
A vehicle fire along the 1300 block of West Windsong Lane prompted the quick response of Pahrump fire crews just before 11:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day. The initial investigation revealed that the cause of the fire was most likely related to improper electrical wiring, as the van was actually being used as a residence, according to Pahrump Fire Chief Scott Lewis.

Special to the Pahrump Valley Times
A high speed pursuit led to the rollover crash of a vehicle at North Leslie Street at Mesquite Avenue on Friday afternoon November 23. The 20 year-old driver was transported to UMC Trauma in Las Vegas with undisclosed injuries.

An unidentified man was flown to Las Vegas following an vehicle crash off of Highway 160.

“We were dispatched for a report of a motor vehicle accident in the area of Highway 160 and Trout Canyon Road,” he said.

“As we were responding, we received updated information that the accident actually occurred on Trout Canyon Road. We traveled approximately eight miles east on Trout Canyon Road, where we found a patient lying in the middle of the roadway. That patient displayed significant injuries, and there was no vehicle located in the immediate area.”

Lewis noted the initial investigation revealed that though the accident had occurred further up Trout Canyon Road, the man actually walked a good distance to the location where he was eventually discovered by emergency crews.

“He had made it down to that level, where he collapsed,” Lewis said. “That patient was subsequently flown to UMC Trauma in Las Vegas, with Highway 160 established as the landing zone. The incident is under investigation by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.”

Fire consumes residence

On Saturday, Nov. 17, fire crews were dispatched for a report of an early morning structure fire, on the 1100 block of East Dollar Street, just before 2 a.m.

“Crews arrived to find a one-story single-wide manufactured dwelling heavily involved with extension to a nearby double-wide dwelling, as well as other trees and numerous personal property stored about,” Lewis said. “We determined that the structure was unoccupied and commenced a defensive exterior attack and also protected the nearby double-wide, which was starting to smoke off.”

“We quickly cooled that structure and prevented it from actually becoming involved itself. Crews quickly controlled and extinguished the fire, which is suspect in nature. The cause remains under investigation at this time. No injuries were reported.”

Amargosa structure fires

On Wednesday, Nov. 21, Pahrump fire crews responded to a mutual aid assignment for a multiple structure fire in Amargosa Valley, just before 5 p.m.

“That fire was located in the area of Farm Road and Quail Drive,” Lewis said. “Crews arrived and assisted Amargosa firefighters with the suppression of several of the structures that were closely placed together in an attempt to make one residential compound. That fire was controlled after several hours and we were later released by Amargosa fire officials. There were no injuries reported on our part.”

Van destroyed by fire

A vehicle fire on the 1300 block of West Windsong Lane prompted the quick response of Pahrump fire crews just before 11:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving.

Lewis noted that crews arrived on scene to find a well-involved conversion van, parked next to a pop-up trailer.

“That van was fully involved and fire was extending to the pop-up trailer and nearby trees,” he said. “Crews commenced a fire suppression and quickly controlled that fire with no further extension. The investigation revealed that the cause of the fire was most likely related to improper electrical wiring, as the van was actually being used as a residence.

“The situation overloaded the electrical system to a nearby dwelling, which caused the fire,” Lewis said. “There were no injuries reported.”

High-speed pursuit ends with rollover crash

On Friday, Nov. 23, emergency crews were dispatched to a single-vehicle rollover crash in the area of North Leslie Street and Mesquite Avenue just before 2:30 p.m.

“Upon arrival, crews found the accident as described with significant damage sustained to the vehicle,” Lewis said. “It was determined that the driver of that vehicle had been involved in a police pursuit. There was no entrapment, however, the patient required flight. Unfortunately, flight was unavailable as they were on other assignments at the time, so as a result, the patient was transported to the local hospital.”

Nye County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Ann Horak said the driver, identified as Christopher Goergen, 20, allegedly fled deputies because he did not possess a valid driver’s license.

“The vehicle reached speeds upward of 80 miles per hour,” Horak noted in a video press release. “As Goergen approached Leslie and Mesquite, a vehicle traveling southbound on Leslie attempted a left turn in front of Goergen’s vehicle. Goergen swerved left, lost control, and flipped the vehicle twice before eventually landing on its wheels.”

Deputies, Horak noted, took Goergen into custody at gunpoint as paramedics were called to the scene.

The vehicle was then run through dispatch and returned with no valid insurance or registration.

Goergen, himself was also run through dispatch for outstanding warrants and returned with a warrant from parole and probation.